1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to the field of power electronics.
It relates to a method for fault correction in a power converter circuit arrangement according to the preamble of the first claim.
2. Discussion of Background
The article "Moderne Leistungshalbleiter in der Stromrichtertechnik" [Modern power semiconductors in power converter technology] by W. Bolsterling et al., etz, vol. 114 (1993), issue 21, pages 1310-1319 discloses power converter circuit arrangements which comprise a plurality of switch modules which can be switched on and off. Particularly concerned here are IGBT modules (IGBT=Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) having a plurality of parallel-connected IGBT semiconductor chips per module.
The gate, anode and cathode terminals of the individual semiconductor chips are normally connected in parallel via connecting wires and connected to corresponding printed conductors which form the module terminals. Bonding wires are normally used as connecting wires.
IGBT modules of higher power virtually always consist of a larger number of such parallel-connected semiconductor chips, in order to be able to achieve the required current carrying capacity. The IGBT modules installed in a multi-phase power converter can be damaged by blocking failure of an individual chip. The semiconductor substrate of such a chip breaks down and subsequently represents a short circuit. In order to avoid damage to the entire installation, protective devices are provided which detect a short circuit of a chip and immediately switch off the power converter. A defect in an individual chip thus paralyzes the entire installation. Apart from the repair costs, the operational interruptions arising thereby can be very expensive for the user in some circumstances.